Marriage Charter of Empress Theophanu

Written in Latin, the document was created after the marriage of Theophanu to Emperor Otto II in 972, which made her the empress of the Holy Roman Empire.

It serves as an example of Ottonian Renaissance art, and the calligraphy of the manuscript has led it to be regarded as one of the most beautiful diplomatic documents of the Middle Ages.

Otto I intended to receive recognition of his title in Byzantium, and to clarify the borders of Western and Eastern allegiances in southern Italy.

[6][7] It is likely that Theophanu kept the document until the eve of her journey to Italy in October 989, at which time it is believed she placed it in Gandersheim Abbey for preservation.

[11] This document outlines the revenue and profits that Theophanu would receive from this marriage, and it begins with a speech similar to sermons held at weddings.

[12][13] The document is a 144.5 by 39.5 cm (56.9 by 15.6 in) scroll consisting of three pieces of parchment glued together and rolled,[14] and is believed to have been created in the Fulda monastery.

[15][16] A scientific study of the purple parchment took place in Munich in 1966, which showed that minium (red lead) and madder were used for staining the document, indicating that it was created in the Holy Roman Empire, rather than in the Byzantine Empire,[15][17] where the Murex shell for making Tyrian purple was tightly controlled.

[15] The top edge is decorated with animals and vegetation, along with medallions containing half-figures, such as Jesus flanked by Mary and John the Baptist with four Evangelists.

[29] Diplomats Theodor von Sickel and Carlrichard Brühl believe that the document is not the original as it lacks a seal and the lines are unusually shaped.